35-624: The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) was the third largest Irish gauge ( 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in )) railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1924. At its peak the MGWR had a network of 538 miles (866 km), making it Ireland's third largest network after the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) and
70-719: A track gauge of 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) fall within the category of broad gauge railways . As of 2022 , they were extant in Australia , Brazil and on the island of Ireland . Currently, the suburban rail networks in Adelaide , Melbourne , and most regional lines in Victoria (including some that cross the border into New South Wales ) use 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ). The 828 km (514.5 mi) long Melbourne–Adelaide rail corridor linking South Australia and Victoria, and some associated branch lines,
105-675: A separate station, which is now the sole operating station, as the last service to the MGWR station ran on 13 January 1985.. The branch is to be made into a rail trail as part of the Dublin-Galway Greenway by 2020. In 1890 the government granted the MGWR £264,000 to build a railway to Clifden on the Atlantic coast of County Galway . It opened as far as Oughterard in January 1895 and to Clifden in July 1895. Due to its inland route it did not serve
140-420: A significant number of new ICR vehicles – an initial purchase of 41 will be made for delivery in 2021, comprising three new trains, with the remainder planned as intermediate vehicles to lengthen existing units. The deal for the new vehicles is intended to include options for up to 40 further vehicles. There are also plans for a total replacement of the existing DART fleet, which will be combined with extensions to
175-492: A third service to Midleton which became operational on a part of the disused Youghal branch line on 30 July 2009. Limerick Suburban Rail currently consists of two lines to Ennis and Nenagh , with shuttle services to Limerick Junction . A Commuter service operates between Galway to Oranmore and Athenry . Commuter trains also operate on shuttle duty for branches from the main InterCity services from Mallow to Tralee (off
210-537: A trolley service of food and drink, a snack car and (on some routes) a restaurant service. It also operated a restaurant at Dún Laoghaire . According to Iarnród Éireann's annual report, the unit lost €297,000 in 2004. In 2006, Iarnród Éireann outsourced the catering on the Dublin-Belfast service to Corporate Catering Ltd, and all InterCity services were taken over by Rail Gourmet in March 2007. Rail Gourmet withdrew from
245-574: Is also a 5 ft 2 in ( 1,575 mm ) gauge. See: Track gauge in Ireland . Before the advent of diesel and electric traction, one of the advantages of the broader 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) Irish gauge compared to 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) was that more space between steam locomotive frames allows for a bigger firebox, enabling generation of more steam. Iarnr%C3%B3d %C3%89ireann Iarnród Éireann , ( Irish pronunciation: [ˈiəɾˠnˠɾˠoːd̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ) or Irish Rail ,
280-685: Is branded separately as Enterprise . Dublin's two main InterCity stations are Connolly and Heuston. Intercity services run to/from Cork , Limerick , Tralee , Ennis , Galway , Waterford , Rosslare Europort , Sligo , Westport , Wexford and Ballina . Dublin's third major station, Pearse , is the terminus for much of the suburban network in the Greater Dublin area. An additional two InterCity services runs from Limerick to Limerick Junction and from Limerick Junction to Waterford. This service formerly operated through to Rosslare Europort but services between Waterford and Rosslare Europort ceased after
315-646: Is provided by separate Mark 3 generator vans. The Cork-Dublin route was formerly the "premier line" of the Great Southern and Western Railway , one of the biggest pre-CIÉ operators. Rolling stock on this route consists of Mark 4 trains, which were built in Spain, complete with DVTs for faster turn-around. 22000 Class DMUs built in South Korea came into service from early 2007 replacing older coaching stock on most other InterCity routes. These 183 carriages are described by
350-580: Is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland . Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity , Commuter , DART and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways , the Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast . In 2019, IÉ carried a record peak of 50 million passengers, up from 48 million in 2018. Until 2013, Ireland
385-453: Is well regarded. However, it is only double track and serves both local and intermediate Commuter as well as InterCity traffic. Hence any delay has knock-on effects. Also, there is limited platform availability at Connolly Station in Dublin. There was also a persistent problem with engine overloading, as Enterprise locomotives also supplied coach power. However, since September 2012, additional power
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#1732852142130420-958: The Board of Trade (with the advice of engineers Charles Pasley and George Stephenson ) introduced the gauge as a compromise. The Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846 was passed to formalise the gauge used on the island of Ireland to 5 feet 3 inches (1600mm). As of 2013 the network totals over 2,730 km or 1,696 mi, 2,400 km or 1,491 mi in the Republic of Ireland and 330 km or 205 mi in Northern Ireland . Fun'Ambule Funicular in Neuchâtel, 330 m long, opened 27 April 2001. The Pennsylvania trolley gauges of 5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,588 mm ) and 5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 1,581 mm ) are similar to this gauge, but incompatible. There
455-622: The Great Northern Railway of Ireland . The MGWR served part of Leinster , County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connacht . Its network was entirely within what in 1922 became the Irish Free State . The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. cxix) received royal assent in July 1845, authorising it to raise £1,000,000 capital and to build a railway from Dublin to Mullingar and Longford and to buy
490-675: The Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line and the Limerick–Waterford line . The majority of Commuter services are based in Dublin, which has four commuter routes: Northern (to Drogheda MacBride ), Western (Connolly Station or Docklands to Kilcock / M3 Parkway ), South-Western (to Sallins and Naas Railway Station ) and South-Eastern (to Kilcoole ). See Dublin Suburban Rail for more details. The Cork Suburban Rail currently has three Commuter services: to Mallow and Cobh , and
525-753: The Royal Canal . Construction of the main line began from Dublin in January 1846 and proceeded westwards in stages, supervised by chief engineer G. W. Hemans . It opened from Dublin Broadstone as far as Enfield in May 1847, to Hill of Down in December 1847 and to Mullingar in October 1848. Rivalry existed between the MGWR and the GS&;WR, each of which wanted to build the line to Galway . The MGWR extended its line from Mullingar and
560-591: The metre gauge network is almost five times longer, Irish gauge is considered the standard by ABNT . The current network is 4,057 km or 2,521 mi, 15% of the total Brazilian network. Following proposed projects of the Ulster Railway and Dublin and Drogheda Railway companies (using 6 ft 2 in ( 1,880 mm ) and 5 ft 2 in ( 1,575 mm ), respectively), and existing issues of competing gauges in Great Britain, in 1843
595-596: The "Station House Hotel" but are unconnected by ownership. They are the expanded former Clifden station in County Galway, Kilmessan Junction in County Meath and the Mullranny Park Hotel at Mulranny , County Mayo. The Great Western Greenway is a greenway rail trail that uses the route of the former Westport — Achill branch line. This position was not always filled. Irish gauge Railways with
630-597: The Ballina branch remain open to passenger traffic. The Meath on Track campaign is campaigning to have the Navan — Clonsilla line (not to be confused with the former GNR Navan — Drogheda line) reopened earlier than the 2030 date announced under current Iarnród Éireann policy. The Edenderry, Clifden, Achill, Cavan, Killeshandra, Ballaghaderreen branch line , Ballinrobe, Killala and Loughrea branches lines are all closed. Rail Users Ireland proposed running some Galway — Dublin services via
665-441: The Dublin – Cork route) and from Manulla Junction to Ballina (off the Dublin – Westport route), as well as acting as InterCity trains for Dublin – Rosslare and some Dublin – Sligo services, and as the aforementioned Limerick – Limerick Junction – Waterford service. The north–south route along Dublin's eastern coastal side is also host to DART, Ireland's only electrified heavy-rail service. The DART consists of many types of trains,
700-454: The GS&WR from its line at Portarlington . The MGWR was first, going via Athlone and reaching Galway, 126.5 miles (203.6 km) from Dublin, in August 1851. It was not until 1859 that the GS&WR got as far as Athlone. The GS&WR was obliged to operate its service over MGWR track between Athlone and Galway, paying the MGWR 65% of passenger and 55% of goods receipts. The GS&WR retained
735-452: The Irish network through its Freight Division – which recorded a tonnage decrease of 19.2% in 2019, and as of 2020, there are 3 freight flows running throughout the country. This operates both Railfreight trains and a network of road haulage through various distribution nodes throughout the country. Iarnród Éireann Freight is subdivided into three sections: The Enterprise route (Dublin to Belfast)
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#1732852142130770-584: The IÉ rail network is 160 km/h (100 mph), although the design speed of the Mark 4 carriages is 201 km/h (125 mph). Since 2019, Irish Rail has been trying to recruit more female drivers. Although the majority of Iarnród Éireann's stations are simply named after the towns they serve, a number of stations in major towns and cities were renamed after leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising , on its 50th anniversary in 1966: IÉ's Network Catering unit used to provide
805-854: The MGWR had a number of branch lines : In 1924 the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State passed the Railways Act 1924, which that November merged the MGWR with the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR), Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway to form the Great Southern Railway. In January 1925, that was joined by the Dublin and South Eastern Railway to form the Great Southern Railways . Locomotives and rolling stock were maintained at MGWR's Broadstone works in Dublin . The MGWR painted all of its locomotives bright emerald until about 1902, when
840-557: The MGWR station in Athlone and the disused route via Moate to Mullingar, reinstating the route of the first MGWR service via the former GS&WR line. The current Galway service runs from Dublin Heuston . This proposal will not go ahead as the railway is due to be replaced with the Dublin-Galway greenway starting from 2020. Three former MGWR stations are now hotels, two of which are called
875-522: The bulk of the area's population, so the GSR closed it in 1935. A similar branch line was built at the same time from Westport to Achill on the Atlantic coast of County Mayo . The MGW built the first section, opening it as far as Newport in February 1894 and Mulranny in May 1894. The Board of Works built the section from Mulranny to Achill, which opened in May 1895. The GSR closed the line in 1937. At its peak
910-511: The company as the "Greenest diesel trains in Europe". The former Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey TD had announced that an additional 51 railcars had been ordered for the company for a planned introduction on services between Dublin, Louth, and Meath. They were placed into service in 2011/2012 but this plan was badly affected by the recession with 21 surpluses to requirements at the end of 2012. The maximum operational speed of InterCity trains on
945-672: The contract in 2020, and no longer provides catering for any Irish Rail services. In 2023, a contactless-only catering service began on the Dublin-Cork route. The company has a fleet size consisting of 547 carriages (excluding the Enterprise service): IÉ's increasing fleet usage has led to requirements being made for the procurement of additional vehicles. DART services are running with all trains formed of 4–8 cars, while 54 sets of 63 fleet of ICRs are committed to services with 56 required on Friday. To this end, IÉ plans to purchase
980-409: The first of the new Class A 4-4-0 express locomotives were outshopped in royal blue. This did not wear well and in 1905 the company adopted grass green. From about 1913 locos were painted gloss black until the MGWR became part of the GSR in 1925. From then on, all locomotives were gradually repainted plain unlined dark grey. Passenger coaches were finished in varnish or brown paint until the blue livery
1015-573: The last train on 18 September 2010. Bus Éireann now operates route 370 through the affected towns as replacement transport. A new service began on 29 March 2010 from Limerick to Galway , as part of the Western Rail Corridor, reopening the long-closed line. A January 2012 national newspaper article suggested that Iarnród Éireann was expected to seek permission in the near future from the National Transport Authority to close
1050-632: The official company name ("Iarnród Éireann – Irish Rail"). In January 2013, a new logo was introduced with a new bilingual branding; it made its first appearance in early January on online timetables, before officially launching on the 21st. In late 2013 the logo was updated again with a new font. Operationally, services are divided across four regional areas: IÉ's passenger services are branded under three main names; InterCity , Commuter and DART . InterCity services are long-distance routes radiating mainly from Dublin. The Belfast – Dublin service, jointly operated with Northern Ireland Railways ,
1085-549: The oldest and most famous one being the 8100 Class which still operates, now extensively refurbished. The following is a simplified table of Monday - Friday off-peak services, various irregular calling patterns have been omitted for clarity. 6 tpd (per direction) from Connolly to Gorey . 5 tpd (per direction) from Connolly to Wexford O'Hanrahan . 2tpd operate to/from Limerick Junction . 3tpd continue to Mullingar / Longford (both call at all stations) Iarnród Éireann also has responsibility for running freight services on
Midland Great Western Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-757: Was converted to standard gauge in 1995. The final 200 km (124.3 mi) section of the North East line, Victoria and the 125 km (77.7 mi) long Oaklands railway line , which runs into New South Wales from Victoria, were converted to standard gauge in 2008–2010. The Mildura and Murrayville railway lines were converted to standard gauge in 2018. Lines connecting the states of Rio de Janeiro , São Paulo and Minas Gerais ; E.F.Carajás in Pará and Maranhão states, and Ferronorte in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states. Used in older Metro systems. Although
1155-552: Was introduced in 1901. As on the locomotives this weathered badly and from 1905 the MGWR reverted to brown, which after 1910 was not so well-adorned with lining. From October 1918 coaches were painted a very dark Crimson and after 1924 the GSR used a similar shade for some years. No MGWR locomotive has been preserved but several of its six-wheeled carriages exist. Those of the former MGWR's main lines that are still open are owned and operated by Iarnród Éireann . Routes between Dublin and Sligo, Athlone and Galway, Athlone and Westport and
1190-400: Was split in 2 sectors: Railway Undertaking and Infrastructure Manager. At the time of its establishment, the company referred to itself as Irish Rail and adopted the four rails IR logo. In 1994, the company brought the Irish form of its name to the fore, introducing a logo and corporate branding based on the letters IÉ (Iarnród Éireann) branding and logo. Both languages remained part of
1225-399: Was the only European Union state that had not implemented EU Directive 91/440 and related legislation, having derogated from its obligation to split train operations and infrastructure businesses, and allow open access by private companies to the rail network. A consultation on the restructuring of Iarnród Éireann took place in 2012. The derogation ended on 14 March 2013 when the company
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